


Sex and Money

by Mialienes



Category: Super Junior, Super Junior-M
Genre: Alternate Universe - Prostitution, M/M, Prostitution
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-17
Updated: 2015-06-17
Packaged: 2018-04-04 19:47:08
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 17,436
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4150527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mialienes/pseuds/Mialienes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Most of life's motives can be distilled down to two things: sex and money.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sex and Money

**Author's Note:**

> Note: if you're a regular reader of my fics, you may have read the first part to this already (about the first 2.5K words). This is the extended version.

"I have a new client for you," Jia stated as soon as Zhou Mi picked up, not even bothering to make small talk. Zhou Mi blinked in surprise behind his sunglasses, accidentally knocking over the bottle of sunscreen next to him as he fumbled with his phone to put it on speaker.

He was out on his patio catching the last of the afternoon sun. While it wasn't an ideal place to sunbath naked, he preferred being potentially seen by his neighbours over tan lines. He wasn't a prude with his body anyway - couldn't really be with his line of work. 

"A new client?" he asked, checking that he'd heard correctly. New clients for him were rare nowadays. He'd worked hard to have a regular client base, and he didn't often get asked to take on new people. His company matched clients with the worker that they deemed best, matching wants and desires - it was the top agency for a reason. Zhou Mi stretched lazily, like a cat, before turning his attention back to his call. 

"Uh huh," Jia agreed. "Do you want to take him? I can send you his details but," Zhou Mi could hear the grin in her voice, "I'd do him." 

That was one of the benefits of working at a high class agency, all customers were screened beforehand. Jia would already have this man's full name, photo, age, employment details - even a reference from an existing client. But Zhou Mi trusted her opinion. They had been working together long enough that Zhou Mi knew she wouldn't send him someone unworthy. 

"Sure," he replied. "I'll take the job, but send it through." 

"Great." There was a short pause in the background before she added, "All the details are now in your calendar. It's tomorrow night. Enjoy," she sang before hanging up.

Zhou Mi double checked the time after the call ended. He was seeing one of his regulars that night but there was another hour before he needed to get ready. He set an alarm before turning over on to his stomach, letting the warmth of the sun lull him into a nap. 

 

*

 

The following evening Zhou Mi found himself at one of the top hotels in the city, the venue all shiny metal and glass surfaces and quiet opulence. After paying his taxi driver he strode through the lobby to the escalators, giving the doorman a warm greeting on his way in. Long gone were the days where he felt intimidated by places like this. If you acted as if you belonged, others tended to believe it unquestioningly. 

Jia had already provided him with the room number and he pressed the button on the escalator, double checking his appearance in the mirrored surface as it ascended to the 25th floor. He stepped out, walking briefly along the halls as he looked for the right door. Once found he rapped his knuckles firmly on the wooden surface. 

The door opened, the occupant stepping aside to let him in. Zhou Mi took the opportunity as he entered to subtly inspect his new client, deciding that the photo that Jia had emailed had been accurate - not that Zhou Mi expected anything less, not with the Agency's strict processes.

Cho Kyuhyun. Late 20s. Assistant Director of a renewable energies company, one that was on the cusp of becoming one of the most important in the country. He was tall, slim but of a stockier build than Zhou Mi, with jet black hair and dark eyes that gave little away. He was cute rather than handsome, and barefoot, dressed in a crisp white shirt with the collar unbuttoned and grey trousers. His hair, and the slight bit of skin exposed by his shirt, was damp, as if he'd just stepped out of the shower. Zhou Mi approved, he liked it when his clients showered beforehand. 

Kyuhyun was holding a tumbler with a splash of amber liquid in the bottom, his hand unadorned and free of any jewelery. There was no tan line on his ring finger. 

"Mr Cho? I'm Zhou Mi," Zhou Mi said, holding out his hand, as if for a handshake. But when Kyuhyun clasped it, Zhou Mi didn't let go, instead sliding his thumb up to caress the inside of his wrist. It was a little trick of his, a gesture to promote intimacy, but also a way to test what someone might be feeling by the beating of their pulse. 

"Do you want a drink?" Kyuhyun asked him, his pulse jumpy under Zhou Mi's touch. _Interesting._ "And call me Kyuhyun," he added as an afterthought when Zhou Mi released him.

Zhou Mi declined the drink, moving to the bed to set his bag down beside it. The room was large for a hotel suite, although obviously not one of the top suites as it was made up of just one room and a separate bathroom. Like the rest of the hotel it was tastefully decorated, mostly done in shades of grey and cream, with touches of aqua in the furnishings. There was a lavish king size bed against one wall, a spacious living area with two couches and a TV, and heavy drapes that hid either a huge window or an entrance to a balcony. 

Zhou Mi moved to the base of the bed, sitting down and leaning back on his hands, the bed linen feeling luxuriously smooth under his fingertips. He resisted the urge to dig his fingers into it - he was a sucker for expensive bedding. "What can I do for you?"

Kyuhyun took a swallow from his glass, eyes travelling up and down Zhou Mi's form. Zhou Mi knew he looked good, hair styled up to show off his eyes, emphasised with just a tiny slick of liner. His was dressed relatively conservatively - pants tight but not obscenely so, showing off the long line of his legs. His black shirt had several buttons undone - one more than Kyuhyun's - providing a glimpse of his smooth chest. 

Some clients wanted to get straight into it, while others preferred to make small talk and pretend their encounter was something other than it was, so Zhou Mi gave Kyuhyun the opportunity to set the tone. Kyuhyun took another drink before settling himself in an armchair opposite the end of the bed, placing the tumbler down on a side table and letting his hands dangle off the armrests. "Can you take your clothes off?"

"Of course," Zhou Mi told him, standing and kicking off his shoes. He made sure to keep eye contact as he stripped, knowing that clients liked that. He unbuttoned his shirt, laying it neatly over a nearby ottoman, followed by his trousers and socks. He didn't bother wearing underwear when he had a job, unless he was specifically requested. Many people would feel awkward being naked in front of a stranger, particularly one who was still fully dressed, but Zhou Mi had been in weirder situations. Besides, he was confident in the way he looked: his skin pale but with a hint of warmth from his time in the sun the other day, lean with just the right amount of muscle. He worked hard to maintain himself and he was proud of the results. 

"Can you finger yourself?" Kyuhyun seemed to express what he wanted in suggestions. It was polite - and unnecessary - Zhou Mi decided not to respond with something greasy like _I can do anything you like_ because while it was unusual, he decided he appreciated it. Zhou Mi reached over to his bag, pulling out a tube of lube, and made himself comfortable on the bed, back against the headboard and legs spread to completely expose himself.

Kyuhyun made no move to join him so Zhou Mi started, squeezing a liberal amount of lube on to his fingers. He'd cleaned and prepped himself earlier, so the two fingers slid in easily. Zhou Mi exhaled softly, working them in and out, thinking dirty filthy thoughts to get himself hard. He was _good_ at this, knowing how to put on a show, knew the best sounds to make so it all seemed genuine. He threw his head back, eyes fluttering as he worked himself open, sliding another finger in to join the others.

There was a rustling, and when Zhou Mi opened his eyes, Kyuhyun was hunched forward, hands on his knees. Apart from a slight pinkness in his cheeks, he looked composed and unaffected.

That wouldn't do at all. 

Zhou Mi increased his efforts, picking up the pace, rubbing the pads of his fingers over his prostate and letting out a loud moan that was swallowed up by the soft furnishings in the room. His cock was fully erect now, and his breathing was heavy, occasional whines leaving his mouth as he fucked himself with his hand. 

There was another rustle as Kyuhyun finally left his chair. But instead of joining him as Zhou Mi expected, he perched on the edge of the bed, watching intently, his eyes hungry. 

"Keep going," he said in a low tone, eyes focussed on the movement of Zhou Mi's fingers as he slid them in and out in a steady rhythm, making Zhou Mi feel so exposed that it sent a flash of arousal into him. "Can you jerk yourself off too? I want to see you come." 

Zhou Mi bit back a moan and obeyed, circling his cock with his other hand to give himself leisurely strokes as he continued to finger himself. It was feeling good now, wasn't just part of the show. He no longer wondered if Kyuhyun was going to touch him - didn't care anymore. Part of him liked being watched, revelled in being the center of attention. He'd always secretly been a bit of a show-off, had always liked being acknowledged for his talents. In another life perhaps he'd be on stage singing heartfelt ballads, but in this one his audience were the ones who paid him to suck, fuck and be fucked. 

He stilled the hand around his cock, giving it a tight squeeze, before starting up again, palm twisting up and over the head, pre-come slick on his skin. He closed his eyes again, chasing the build up of pleasure, and he could almost _feel_ Kyuhyun's gaze, drilling into him, heavy and fierce. Kyuhyun's lower lip was caught in his teeth and Zhou Mi had a sudden urge to see what he'd look like when he wasn't keeping himself under tight control. He wanted to see Kyuhyun with his hair messed up, skin flushed pink, wanted to capture that mouth with his until it was slick and kiss swollen. He jerked himself off with images of Kyuhyun above him, imagining how the muscles in his arms might tense, veins standing out starkly on his pale skin. What would he fuck like? Would he be the sort to take Zhou Mi hard and fast? Would he draw it out? Would he be the type of client who got off making Zhou Mi come first, or would he prefer to leave him unsatisfied? 

Zhou Mi stroked himself faster, matching the quickening speed of his fingers. He crooked them, pressed them hard against his prostate as he felt his orgasm building, and then he was coming, chest heaving and abs tensing as he spurted over his hand and stomach. 

The bed shifted as Kyuhyun got up, briefly leaving the room and returning with a damp washcloth which he handed over without a word. Zhou Mi used it to wipe himself off before pushing himself up to a seated position. 

"Do you want me to - do you?" he asked. 

Kyuhyun shook his head. "No. Sometimes," he mused idly, toying with the pattern on the bed covers, "I find that the anticipation is better than the having." 

"I don't think that's true," Zhou Mi replied, even though it wasn't clear that Kyuhyun was looking for a response. "I can assure you that having me is much, much better than just anticipation."

There was a pause before Kyuhyun laughed, as if he was surprised to find Zhou Mi outright disagreeing with him. "Perhaps." 

Zhou Mi's fee would have been paid directly to his agency prior to him stepping into the room, and since Kyuhyun seemed satisfied - though not in the usual way - Zhou Mi excused himself to use the bathroom, soaping up his hands with the little luxury soap at the side of the sink. When he returned, the curtains had been pulled back and Kyuhyun's back was to him as he stared out the window. 

With his time up, Zhou Mi headed to the door but before he could leave Kyuhyun pressed a tip into his hand, fingers brushing his skin. It was the first contact they'd had the entire evening. 

Zhou Mi pocketed the note without glancing at it. 

"Thanks," he said sincerely. He doubted he was going to get a second request from Kyuhyun, considering the man had paid a rather exorbitant fee just to see him masturbate. Not that Zhou Mi was complaining - there were worse ways to spend a couple of hours. 

"Thank _you_." 

He really was cute, Zhou Mi thought. It was a shame that he wouldn't see him again. "Have a good night."

 

*

 

Zhou Mi groaned as he held the phone to his ear. After leaving the hotel he'd taken a taxi home and fallen straight into a deep sleep after washing his face. Normally he would have showered after meeting with a client, but since they hadn't actually had intercourse, he was happy to wait. 

"You must've made quite the impression," Jia said to him.

"Good morning," he croaked, pulling the covers over his head. His blinds blocked out a lot of light but the room was bright enough that Zhou Mi supposed it was already late morning. "What impression?"

"Mr Cho. He wanted to see you tonight." 

Suddenly Zhou Mi felt completely awake. "He did?" Zhou Mi hadn't been expecting that, not when Kyuhyun hadn't even touched him. 

"Mhmm. He was put out that you're already booked. Said he'd pay double."

Their agency had many clients who didn't hear no often in their normal lives. Despite this, Zhou Mi knew exactly how Jia would've responded. There were several reasons they were so successful, so highly valued, and it wasn't just due to the quality of their whores. "You said no." It wasn't a question - Zhou Mi's client for the evening was someone he'd been seeing regularly for over a year. He was older, in his late 40s, the head of a banking company. He was considerate and treated Zhou Mi well. 

He was also married with three children, but it wasn't Zhou Mi's job to judge his client's personal life. 

"Of course. He had to settle for booking you for the next three nights instead." 

" _Three_ nights. In a row?" Zhou Mi pushed the covers off and sat up. As much as Zhou Mi's regulars liked him, none of them had ever liked him enough to book him for three straight nights. 

"Yup. Hope you have the stamina."

"Fuck off," Zhou Mi replied, but there was no anger in his tone. He flopped back down onto his pillow and stared at his ceiling. He thought about the large tip that Kyuhyun had given him and he felt his lips involuntarily stretch into a smile. "Of course I have the stamina." 

Jia laughed at him, her voice rich with amusement. "Of course you do. That's my boy." 

 

*

 

Did everyone in Zhou Mi's life hate him? The way his phone kept waking him up so early in the morning was making him think so. Didn't people realise that he worked nights? 

He groaned as he reached out to pick up the call, muttering a croaky, "Hello," into the receiver.

"Mi," his friend, Liyin said. He could tell from the high pitch of her voice, even in his half-awake state, that she was feeling frantic. "I need a favour."

Zhou Mi cracked open an eye to check the time. It was still dark and he knew by the fog in his head that he'd only been asleep for a few hours. He groaned again. "It's 5am. I worked last night." Last night he'd seen the client that Jia had refused to cancel for Kyuhyun. He was a decent man, though somewhat demanding, and Zhou Mi _really_ needed to sleep. His body ached. 

"I know, I know, but… I wouldn't ask if I wasn't desperate." 

Zhou Mi knew that Liyin wouldn't call this early unless she truly was desperate, which was the only reason he wasn't yelling at her. Instead, he said with a sigh, "You need me to come in?"

"Can you? Please. I'm really sorry." 

Zhou Mi was feeling mean enough to let her sweat for a bit before he answered, even though he already knew he was going to say yes. "Fine, fine. I'll see you in an hour or so." 

Liyin muttered grateful thank yous as Zhou Mi hung up. He rolled over, smushing his face into the pillow. For a brief moment he contemplated going back to sleep. Then his conscience got the better of him and he forced himself out of bed, one heavy limb at a time. 

 

*

 

It wasn't the first time Liyin had called asking for a favour. She owned a cafe downtown, and had been having trouble replacing her barista after her previous one quit a few weeks ago, with none of the replacements meeting her standards. Hence all the calls to Zhou Mi - he knew his way around a coffee machine from his months working at a cafe when he was in university - back before he figured out that prostitution involved less work and paid much, much, more. 

He'd first met Liyin at the Agency. She was several years younger than him, and when she first started Zhou Mi had been a mentor, of sorts. She hadn't lasted long, but Zhou Mi hadn't expected her to - she was too soft, too kind - far too tender for sex work. Zhou Mi had been glad when she'd quit, and it was partially the reason he never said no when she asked, even when she called him at 5am - he never wanted to see her back in it. 

It was 6.30am by the time Zhou Mi showed up, knocking on the front door to be let in. 

"You're here!" Liyin exclaimed, unlocking the door and tossing him an apron. She had a smudge of flour on her nose, and the cafe smelt like freshly baked muffins. Zhou Mi tied the apron around his waist and went straight to work, turning on the coffee machine and heading to the storeroom to grab a new stack of coffee cups. He made himself and Liyin a cup before they both fell into the rhythm of preparing for opening. 

The day passed quickly. The cafe was small, but in a prime location, and the flow of customers was constant. Zhou Mi and Liyin didn't talk much, both snowed under with their respective tasks - Zhou Mi focussing on the coffee orders, and Liyin taking care of almost everything else. 

He knew that she had plans to expand, but the kitchen needed an upgrade before this could happen, and he knew that Liyin didn't have the capital saved up for it. Some days he wondered how she kept going with the long hours and constantly being on the brink of financial collapse. He didn't envy her life. 

By the time it was closing time, Zhou Mi's feet ached and the lack of sleep had definitely caught up with him. The numerous coffees he'd chugged through the day had worn off, and he wanted to do nothing more than fall into his bed and stay there for 24 hours.

"Do you have a customer tonight?" Liyin asked, dishcloth in hand as she wiped down the tables in steady circles. 

"Yes," Zhou Mi said with a yawn, unable to hold it back. "Of course."

Liyin paused, looking guilty. "I'm sorry. You must be so tired. Go home and take a nap, I'll finish closing up."

"You need me again tomorrow, right?"

Liyin was silent but looked at him with hopeful eyes, wringing the cloth in her hands. 

Zhou Mi sighed as he undid his apron, folding it neatly and placing it underneath the counter. He clapped her gently on the shoulder on his way out. "See you tomorrow." 

 

*

 

Zhou Mi only managed to catch a few hours of sleep before his alarm sounded. Because he was nothing but dedicated, he resisted the urge to hit the snooze button, rolling out of bed and into the shower. The warm water helped waken him a little, though by the time he'd dried himself off he was feeling a bit droopy again. 

Zhou Mi stared at himself in the mirror and patted his cheeks. "C'mon, Zhou Mi, you can do this," he muttered, giving himself a little pep talk as he ran a comb through his hair. He styled it carefully, lightly did his face, and then went to his closet to select an outfit. 

In the taxi to the hotel, Zhou Mi gave Jia a call. 

"Hey, just checking in. I'm on my way to see Kyuhyun."

"Great," she replied, before saying, "You sound tired."

"I am. I was at the cafe today." 

"Again? You need to stop helping the kid out."

Zhou Mi fidgeted with the collar of his shirt, unhappy with the way it was lying. His hand brushed over his collarbones. They seemed more prominent - had he lost weight? "I know, but -"

"You're too soft."

At that he scoffed. Soft? That was the last thing he was. "You're the only person who's ever said that to me." 

Jia laughed at him. "Maybe because no one else knows you as well as I do." 

"Yeah, yeah." It was probably the truth - they'd known one another for a long time and there probably wasn't anyone else who'd seen Zhou Mi at both his best and his worst. Still, Zhou Mi wouldn't describe himself as _soft_. He glanced out the window, noticing that the taxi was almost at the hotel. "I need to go. Is there anything else?"

"Nope," Jia confirmed. "Enjoy. Stay safe. Talk to you later." 

They hung up just as the taxi came to a stop. Zhou Mi reached into his pocket, pulling out a couple of bills, and handed them over before exiting. 

 

*

 

When Kyuhyun opened the door, Zhou Mi had his show face on. "I wasn't sure if I'd see you again," Zhou Mi said in greeting, his gaze steady with no trace of the exhaustion he felt. "Since you didn't even come last time."

Kyuhyun pinked a tiny bit, so slight that it could've been missed if Zhou Mi hadn't been looking for it. "It was my first time."

Zhou Mi raised an eyebrow. "With a prostitute?"

Kyuhyun's pink turned into a proper blush, as if he'd just realised the implications of what he'd said. "Yes, with a -- I mean," he stuttered, "I'm not a virgin." 

So he _had_ been nervous. Normally Zhou Mi didn't find the whole innocent virgin thing cute, but on Kyuhyun it was a little endearing. He bet Kyuhyun would be one of those clients who liked to cuddle afterwards. He followed Kyuhyun into the room, the same one as last time, wondering if Kyuhyun had just booked the place for an entire week. 

"So," Kyuhyun said as they crossed the room. "Your agency sent me your list…"

It was usual practice - every client received a list of "yes" and "nos". The list was generally pretty standard - with the nos it was basic items like no sex without condoms, no leaving marks, that kind of thing. With the yes list, each worker added the things that they were personally willing to do. Zhou Mi was open to a lot, so his was longer than many of the others. 

"Kissing is okay?" Kyuhyun asked, as if he was unsure. Zhou Mi wondered if he'd memorised the list. Had he studied it? 

Maybe he should test him later.

"Yes," Zhou Mi confirmed, in response to his question. He'd always thought that rule - no kissing - was stupid. Kissing wasn't more intimate than fucking, not to him anyway. Maybe it'd be different if he had a boyfriend but for now, it was on the yes list. 

Zhou Mi backed Kyuhyun into a chair, watching with amusement as he flopped down on it. Zhou Mi immediately straddled him, hands splaying across Kyuhyun's chest, eyes dipping to the bow of his mouth. He could feel Kyuhyun's heart fluttering under his fingers. 

"Are you nervous?" Zhou Mi teased lightly. It was sweet - somewhat disarming. In the past, Zhou Mi had had clients who made him feel awful about himself, who enjoyed seeing him degraded (though he never gave them the satisfaction of showing it) and it was always a risk of meeting someone new. Fortunately, so far, Kyuhyun didn't seem to be one of those assholes. 

"It's... it's been a while," Kyuhyun explained.

"Don't be nervous, I'm a sure thing," he purred, leaning in closer, giving Kyuhyun an opportunity to back away. When he didn't, he captured his lips in his, giving him a bit of tongue as Kyuhyun let out a little moan. Zhou Mi started unbuttoning Kyuhyun's shirt as they kissed, pulling it open and slipping it off Kyuhyun's shoulders, his skin warm under his fingers. 

"What do you want?" Zhou Mi asked. "Do you want my mouth? My ass?" He brushed Kyuhyun's nipples with his thumbs, leaning down to tongue teasingly at them as he ground shamelessly down into Kyuhyun's lap. 

Kyuhyun let out a groan at that. "Your mouth. Please." 

"So polite." Zhou Mi pulled back, but remained perched in Kyuhyun's lap. "Here?" 

Kyuhyun's eyes flicked to the bed. Zhou Mi took his hand, getting up and lead him to the bed where he pushed him down gently. 

"Get comfortable." 

Kyuhyun climbed up and laid back, propped up a little on the pillows. Zhou Mi knelt on the bed, in between Kyuhyun's legs, running his hands up Kyuhyun's inner thighs, coming up to loosen the belt on Kyuhyun's pants. He eased the zip down, deliberately brushing over Kyuhyun's crotch, smirking to himself as he dipped his head to mouth at the bump in the material, seeing that Kyuhyun was already half hard. 

"Don't tease me. Please."

"I thought you liked the anticipation," Zhou Mi grinned, but he stopped playing around, pulling out a condom from his pocket. "Up," he said, so he could pull Kyuhyun's boxer briefs and his trousers down his hips and butt. He nuzzled Kyuhyun's thighs, smelling soap and arousal. Zhou Mi didn't keep him waiting any longer, wrapping a hand around his cock to bring him to full hardness before ripping open the condom packet and sliding it on to Kyuhyun's erection. Kyuhyun let out a little gasp when Zhou Mi wrapped his lips around the head, his eyes fluttering to a close. 

Zhou Mi kept a hand wrapped around the base, flattening his tongue and taking more into his mouth. There was no need to be modest - and Zhou Mi wasn't anyway, not about things he knew that he was good at - he was proud of his cocksucking skills and had always rather enjoyed them. Even when he was on his knees, it felt like he was the one in charge. There was something about having the weight of a man's cock on his tongue, feeling them shiver as he swallowed them down, that he found pleasing. 

Kyuhyun had his hands clenched by his side, and Zhou Mi pulled off for a second. Kyuhyun's eyes flew open, a low whine in his throat. 

"Easy," Zhou Mi said soothingly, grabbing one of Kyuhyun's hands in his. "We have plenty of time." As if he wasn't already counting down the minutes in his mind. He grabbed one of Kyuhyun's hands in his. 

He had nice hands, Zhou Mi noted, long shapely fingers, not as bony and large as his own. Zhou Mi tugged them down to rest them in his hair, smiling to himself when Kyuhyun tightened his grip, pulling slightly on the strands. 

He did remember the list.

Zhou Mi hollowed his cheeks, sucking hard, a hand stroking lightly at Kyuhyun's balls. He was pleased when Kyuhyun bucked involuntarily, muttering a quick, "Sorry, sorry," even as it made him choke, unprepared for it. He relaxed his throat muscles, sinking down further on Kyuhyun's cock until it hit the back of his throat, holding it there for a moment as Kyuhyun's voice cracked as he moaned. 

"Jesus, fuck," Kyuhyun swore. That could have been one of Zhou Mi's favourite sounds in the world, hearing a man moan like that, knowing he was the case of it. 

Zhou Mi bobbed his head back up, tonguing the underside of the shaft as Kyuhyun threw his head back, breaths getting faster. His hands tightened further in Zhou Mi's hair, to the point where it was almost painful, but Zhou Mi kind of liked it. 

It wasn't long until Kyuhyun came, spilling into the condom, body convulsing almost awkwardly. 

"You're really good at that," Kyuhyun complimented after he had a chance to catch his breath. He tugged at his arms, pulling him up and Zhou Mi crawled up his body, admiring Kyuhyun's flushed heaving chest, pleased with the effect that he'd had on him. Kyuhyun's lips parted, tongue swiping across his lower lip, and Zhou Mi knew what he wanted.

"I taste like latex," he warned. 

"Don't care," Kyuhyun replied, licking his lips again, and Zhou Mi followed the movement with his own, dipping his head. Zhou Mi knew he didn't taste pleasant, but Kyuhyun didn't seem to mind, humming in contentment as they kissed, tugging him down so his body weight was on Kyuhyun. Chest to chest, groin to groin, skin hot. 

"Want to fuck you," Kyuhyun muttered into Zhou Mi's mouth, hand curled around Zhou Mi's ass. 

"You can - if you can get it up again," Zhou Mi teased. He was taken by surprise when Kyuhyun managed to flip him over, reversing their positions, a growl low in his throat. 

"I think I can." 

They made out for a little, Kyuhyun's hands at Zhou Mi's belt, doing his best to unbuckle it without looking. He wasn't having much luck, and Kyuhyun stopped kissing him to look down. It was at that moment, despite Zhou Mi's best attempts to stifle it, that he yawned. 

"Sorry!" Zhou Mi immediately said, before Kyuhyun even had a chance to react. "I was up early this morning. Don't stop." He cupped his hands around Kyuhyun's ass, pulling him close, tighter. "Don't stop. Fuck me."

Inside he was cursing himself for letting the yawn slip. _Way to go_ , he berated himself. _Make your client think that he's boring you._ He tried to draw Kyuhyun's attention back to him with a kiss, but instead Kyuhyun rolled off him. 

"It's okay." He sat up, brushing a hand over Zhou Mi's cheek, the touch oddly tender. "I'm seeing you tomorrow anyway. Go home and get some sleep." 

When Zhou Mi didn't move, still annoyed at himself, Kyuhyun offered a hand to pull him up. "Really. It's okay. I mean it."

Zhou Mi left the hotel feeling dazed. He sent Jia a quick text to let her know that he'd left and took a taxi home.

 

*

 

The next morning he still felt out of sorts, but showed up at the cafe bright and early. At least being there helped him take his mind off the previous night's faux pas, even though it was kind of Liyin's fault that it had happened. 

"I need to be out of here by 3," he told her as they prepared to open, Zhou Mi pulling the chairs off the table and setting them on the floor. "I have an appointment. Can you close by yourself?"

"Yeah, I should be. Thanks. I appreciate any time you can spare for me!"

At 3pm, Zhou Mi bid Liyin farewell, somehow (stupidly) agreeing to come again the following morning. Maybe Jia was right about him being soft. Zhou Mi made his way to his appointment - his financial advisor, Siwon, a long time acquaintance of his from his college days. 

Siwon was doing well for himself, he had a swanky office in a newly refitted highrise on the edge of the central business district. He definitely charged enough for his services, but Zhou Mi supposed it was worth it - would be worth it in the end. He saw him every six months or so. Siwon knew what he did, of course, although he didn't approve. 

But money was money in the end, and money had a way of speaking the loudest. 

It was fortunate that prostitution had been legalised a few years before Zhou Mi started, because it enabled him to have legitimate earnings. It galled him a little to have to pay tax on them, but on the other hand it meant that his money was clean. 

In Siwon's office they began with a stocktake of Zhou Mi's earnings over the past six months. Zhou Mi always got the impression that Siwon was slightly disbelieving about the amount that he earnt, but it was all there - clear as anything. Numbers didn't lie. Afterwards they moved on to the state of Zhou Mi's current investments. He owned stocks in a few companies, plus a couple of investment properties. Siwon was keen for him to diversify his investments further - Zhou Mi had a large amount of cash sitting in a savings account, which wasn't generating enough interest for Siwon's liking, but Zhou Mi wanted to keep it for backup. He had thoughts of buying another property, maybe starting a business one day, but they were just thoughts at this stage. He knew that he couldn't be a prostitute forever - the day would come where he'd be considered too old and no one would want him. 

Most of the others at the Agency frittered their earnings away on designer clothes and fancy jewellery, and Zhou Mi also had a weakness for nice, pretty, expensive things. But fortunately he had Siwon to keep his tastes in check - who made him save and invest the bulk of his earnings. He was all too keenly aware that in his line of work he could only rely on himself. Nothing, he constantly reminded himself, was as nice or as pretty as financial security.

It took a bit of convincing but eventually Zhou Mi agreed to let Siwon use some of his savings to buy into another fund. "Just some - not all," he said sternly. Siwon was satisfied with that, and they shook on it before Zhou Mi left. He headed home for a rest before he had to see Kyuhyun that night. 

Just like the previous day he snuck in a short nap, setting aside enough time to be able to take a long shower. He brushed his teeth before dressing. After doing his hair, spraying on cologne, doing a tiny bit of makeup, and checking that he had supplies in his bag - he was ready to go. Almost. There was no way he was going to yawn in Kyuhyun's face again, so he quickly swallowed a double espresso before leaving his apartment. 

As per his usual routine, he checked in with Jia on the taxi ride to the hotel. He'd noticed that after these commitments with Kyuhyun that there was an empty spot in his schedule for several days. 

"I thought you could use some time off," Jia told him after he asked her about it. "You've been working constantly. When was the last time you took a holiday?"

A long time ago. Far too long ago to remember. But that wasn't her choice to make for him. There was always the constant worry, something that he pushed down, that he would be forced out, subtly told that he was no longer necessary. He rarely got new clients now, Kyuhyun being the first in a while, and while there was positives in having a regular customer base it was also limiting. What happened when they moved on? When they got bored of him?

Zhou Mi knew that he had a short shelf life as it was, he didn't need her making it any shorter. He hated it when people thought they knew the best for him, hated having his decisions made for him. 

"I don't need a break," he said curtly. "I can be booked on those days." His tone left no room for disagreement.

The conversation with Jia soured his mood a little, and it took a fair effort to shake it off so it wouldn't affect his demeanor when he arrived. 

 

*

 

By the time he knocked on the door to the room, he was smiling again, and it turned real when he saw Kyuhyun's face. 

"Good evening," he greeted when Kyuhyun opened it, walking in and crowding into Kyuhyun's personal space as he slung his arms around Kyuhyun's shoulders. "Hi." Kyuhyun tipped his head up a little, making Zhou Mi smile - he was awfully unsubtle. Zhou Mi leant down to kiss him, walking him backwards until the back of Kyuhyun's calves hit the bed. "Are you going to fuck me today?" Zhou Mi asked him teasingly, his bad mood forgotten. 

He'd always been good at compartmentalising, and while Kyuhyun was a job he was turning out to be one that Zhou Mi was enjoying. He was good looking, smart, and he seemed kind and sweet - as well as undemanding. From Zhou Mi's experience, rich men tended to be unaware of their own arrogance. They expected their smallest desires to just fall into their laps, but so far Kyuhyun hadn't displayed that quality at all. 

"Yes, god yes," Kyuhyun said in response to his question, and Zhou Mi grinned, pushing him down gently so he was flat on the bed. He climbed over, legs on either side of Kyuhyun's hips. 

"How? Like this?" He grinded purposely down into Kyuhyun's crotch, admiring the way Kyuhyun blushed prettily, agreeing almost frantically. 

"Okay, yes, yes." 

In between kisses Zhou Mi shucked off his shirt, helping Kyuhyun with his as well, before working on removing their pants. When they were both naked, Zhou Mi returned them to the same position as before - Kyuhyun on his back and Zhou Mi on top of him, knees on either side of Kyuhyun's hips, lube and condoms within easy reach on the bed. 

"Want to watch?" Zhou Mi asked as he flipped the cap off the lube. He thought that Kyuhyun might like to see this part, judging from previous visits and he knew he was right when he heard Kyuhyun bite off a moan when he penetrated himself with a finger. "Yes?"

"Yes, yes, yes."

Zhou Mi didn't really need to prepare himself - he'd done that earlier - but he still took his time, stretching and fucking himself on his fingers, letting out little moans and gasps as he toyed with himself as Kyuhyun watched. "Going to fuck me? Want to fuck me?" he asked after he'd worked four in, and at Kyuhyun's quick agreement, he said, almost an order, "Condom."

Kyuhyun quickly ripped open the packet, rolling the latex down his erection, even grabbing the lube and giving himself a couple of quick strokes to ensure he was all nicely slick. Zhou Mi didn't make him wait any longer, having teased him enough with the show, getting himself into position and slowly lowering himself on Kyuhyun's cock. When he bottomed out Kyuhyun let out a groan but was otherwise still, his hands gripping tightly on to Zhou Mi's hips. Kyuhyun let Zhou Mi set the pace, waiting patiently, his bottom lip held tightly in between his teeth as Zhou Mi swiveled his hips, grinding himself down in a way that felt pleasant for him but was probably tortuous for Kyuhyun. 

Zhou Mi had always loved this feeling, the stretch, the fullness, and he revelled in it for a moment, throwing his head back and exposing the long line of his throat. He was vain enough to know that he looked good like this, and by the way Kyuhyun was trembling slightly, he knew he felt good too. 

"More, please, more," Kyuhyun said pleadingly. 

Kyuhyun was so good, so patient. Zhou Mi liked that a lot, and rewarded him by picking up the pace, turning the shallow movements of his hips deeper and faster until the room was filled with the sounds of their moans and the slapping of skin on skin. 

"Oh, god, going to --" Kyuhyun panted, shuddering, and Zhou Mi used his muscles to tighten around him, drawing out his orgasm as Kyuhyun clawed at the bed, pushing himself upwards and as deep into Zhou Mi as possible. He was surprised when Kyuhyun reached down straight away to jerk him off. He was already stimulated from riding Kyuhyun and it only took a couple of tugs before he was spilling over Kyuhyun's fingers, his orgasm rocking through him in waves. 

"Fuck," he stuttered, chest heaving. When he was able to open his eyes he found Kyuhyun smiling at him in satisfaction. 

"I like seeing you come." 

 

*

 

He called Jia from the cab instead of texting her, not quite feeling able to type out a whole message. "Going home," he said, when she picked up.

"Hmmm. Someone sounds well fucked."

Zhou Mi pressed his cheek against the cold window of the car and smiled, closing his eyes. "Indeed." 

 

*

 

Zhou Mi swayed on his feet, contemplating a third cup of coffee. The cafe had been slammed for hours - Liyin _really_ needed to hire some more permanent workers - but there was a lull for the moment. He shut his eyes. 

He could hear someone ordering at the counter - someone who sounded awfully familiar. When Zhou Mi looked over he found Kyuhyun staring at him. He looked tired too, hair unruly, and his charcoal pin-striped pants marred with deep creases at the thighs, just visible underneath his blazer, like he'd been sitting down for hours. 

"Ummm," Kyuhyun said, eyes darting around, as if he wasn't sure if he was allowed to acknowledge Zhou Mi's presence. 

"Hi Kyuhyun," Zhou Mi said as he wiped the steam wand of the machine clean, putting him out of his misery. Liyin's eyes flicked between the two of them. "Liyin, this is one of my clients - Kyuhyun." 

"I didn't know you worked here," Kyuhyun said, stepping away from Liyin's part of the counter and towards Zhou Mi. 

"I don't really, I'm just helping out my friend."

"Ahhh. I work around the corner," Kyuhyun explained. He waited in silence as Zhou Mi made his coffee. It was awkward, like he wasn't sure how how familiar he was allowed to be. Zhou Mi handed him his cup once he was finished. "Ummm… see you tonight?"

"See you," Zhou Mi agreed. 

As soon as he left, Liyin was full of questions. " _He's_ one of your clients? You haven't told me about him!"

"I don't tell you about any of them," Zhou Mi huffed. 

"Yeah but he's young and he's cute. How old is he? He looks like he's younger than you."

"A couple of years younger."

"That's unusual. Is he nice?"

Trust Liyin to ask if he was _nice_ , as if that was the most important thing. "He's rich and he tips well. That's all I care about," Zhou Mi told her. 

 

*

 

Several hours later, Zhou Mi knocked on the door of the hotel room. He waited. And waited some more. Normally Kyuhyun answered the door straight away, knowing that he would be arriving. A little confused, he tried again, wondering if he needed to call Jia. 

The door flew open to Kyuhyun apologising profusely. "Sorry!" He had a bathrobe loosely tied around him, and his hair was so wet it was dripping on the material of the robe. It looked like he'd just gotten out of the shower and he explained as Zhou Mi entered the room, "Sorry, I got stuck at work."

Zhou Mi followed him inside, kicking the door shut behind him and reaching for the strings of the bathrobe. "Busy day, huh."

Kyuhyun sighed as Zhou Mi tugged the robe open. He was naked underneath. "Yeah. Really…" he sighed again as Zhou Mi ran a finger along the wet drops still glistening on his chest. "Busy." 

"You're so tense," Zhou Mi remarked. "Why don't you lie down and I'll take care of that." He pulled away, giving instructions. "Robe off, face down." 

Kyuhyun listened so well, Zhou Mi thought, as he did as he was asked without question, dropping the robe to the floor and lying down on the bed. Zhou Mi left the room briefly to search the bathroom for a bottle of moisturiser, returning with it. He squirted a small amount on his hands, rubbing them together quickly as he climbed on to the bed, and then running them along the line of Kyuhyun's back, digging into the muscles.

"Oh," Kyuhyun said in pleased surprise, his voice muffled by the bed.

"Is the pressure okay?" 

"Uh huh. I didn't know you knew how to massage." 

"I'm very talented with my hands," Zhou Mi joked, using the heels of his palms to work out the knots in Kyuhyun's shoulders. He really was very tense, all the muscles tight with stress, but they gradually loosened as Zhou Mi worked his way down Kyuhyun's back. In fact, his breathing had settled so much that Zhou Mi suspected he had fallen asleep - that is, until he reached the top of Kyuhyun's ass. Kyuhyun jolted when Zhou Mi began to massage his glutes, and Zhou Mi grinned to himself, only giving them a small amount of attention before moving down to his thighs and legs. 

"Okay, turn over," he commanded, pulling back so Kyuhyun had space to flip on to his back. Kyuhyun wasn't hard, but not limp either, in that half way state and he locked his eyes on the ceiling as a blush travelled up his chest, obviously feeling exposed by his nakedness. Zhou Mi didn't comment on it, squeezing another dollop of moisturiser on his hands and continuing with the massage on Kyuhyun's front, beginning with the sides of his neck and shoulders before travelling down his arms. Zhou Mi watched Kyuhyun's face as he worked, until eventually his eyelids drooped and he closed his eyes, and it was then that Zhou Mi leant down and licked a circle around Kyuhyun's nipple. 

"Oh!" 

Zhou Mi grinned to himself, giving it a gentle bite, before soothing the sting with another lap of his tongue. He licked over to the other one, giving it a suck until it was perky and erect like its twin. When he looked down, Kyuhyun's cock had fully hardened, standing up and stiff against his stomach. 

"I think I've done something wrong, you don't look relaxed at all," Zhou Mi said with a faux pout as he wrapped a hand around Kyuhyun's erection, twisting upwards. Kyuhyun bucked into his grip and Zhou Mi tsked at him, holding him still. "Tell me what you want tonight."

"Ummm, I liked that - last night --"

"You liked me riding you? Liked the way I fucked myself down on your cock?" As he spoke he ran his thumb across the head of Kyuhyun's cock, making him moan. 

He could see red travelling up Kyuhyun's neck. He was so easy to fluster, to tease. It was fun, Zhou Mi decided. "Sit up," he suggested, and Kyuhyun did so, moving up the bed so he was leaning against the headboard. Zhou Mi knelt in front of him, placing a condom on him, before lining Kyuhyun's cock up with his entrance. There was no teasing, no playing tonight. He sank down quickly, enjoying the feeling of Kyuhyun's cock, the head catching slightly on his rim before slipping in. He bottomed out, and unlike the previous night when he'd gone slow, tortuously slow, he started tonight with a quick pace, his thighs working hard as he bounced up and down in Kyuhyun's lap. 

His arms were draped over Kyuhyun's shoulders, and he used them, along with his legs, to force himself up and down. Kyuhyun's mouth hung open, gasping for breath as he thrust up in time with Zhou Mi's movements. 

The muscles in Zhou Mi's thighs were starting to ache with the exertion but he could tell Kyuhyun was close. He started whispering dirty words into Kyuhyun's ear, "It feels so good, you fuck me so well, love being stuffed full," until Kyuhyun came with a shout, clutching him tightly, and Zhou Mi followed him over the edge a little later. 

 

*

 

Zhou Mi was buttoning up his shirt when the question came. 

It always came - in one way or another. There were many variations, masked as questions about his life, his finances, but they all meant the same thing.

Zhou Mi was silent for a long moment, fingers deftly securing his buttons. He knew exactly what Kyuhyun was asking, and Zhou Mi didn't believe in sweetening words that tasted bitter. So he replied, turning to Kyuhyun, who was still sprawled on the bed, "Why am I a whore?"

"No," Kyuhyun protested, sitting up. "That wasn't what I - I just wondered - I mean, you're so put together..."

And it was the naivety in his tone, the innocence, the way Kyuhyun seemed truly unaware of how offensive he was being, that made Zhou Mi snap. 

"If you're looking for a sob story - some kind of dark past - it doesn't exist. I had a good childhood. My parents love me. I went to college. I've never been abused. I don't have a drug addiction. I'm a whore because I like sex, and I like money."

"That wasn't what I meant --"

Except it _was_ , and Zhou Mi knew it because he'd heard it 1000 times before. 

"This isn't Pretty Woman, Kyuhyun. I don't need someone to save me. I also don't need someone to pity me or judge me, so if you're going to do either of those things - don't book me anymore." 

Kyuhyun recoiled, like he'd been physically hit. And even though every word was true, Zhou Mi regretted saying them as soon as they left his mouth. He should have tempered himself. He wasn't paid for the truth - he was paid for a fantasy, and he'd just gone and ruined it. 

But he didn't apologise, proud as always, and in the end it was Kyuhyun who did so.

"I'm sorry. That was rude of me." He reached over to grab his wallet from where he'd placed it on the bedside table, removing a few notes which he leant forward to push into Zhou Mi's hand. "Thank you for tonight."

It was an obvious dismissal, and Zhou Mi finished dressing in silence before making his way to the door. To his surprise, Kyuhyun walked with him, and just before he left, he said, "Just for the record - I don't. Pity you. Or judge you." 

The door closed, leaving Zhou Mi in the hallway. _Good work,_ he told himself, knowing that he'd just ruined any chances of getting further bookings from Kyuhyun. 

He wondered if he should call Jia to alert her that a complaint about him was forthcoming. His hand closed around the money in his pocket. No doubt it was overly generous - as per usual. 

He pulled it out to have a look and found that he was correct. 

 

*

 

It took an entire day before Jia called him. Zhou Mi was at the supermarket when his phone rang, mulling over the sugar content in a box of cereal in the breakfast aisle. He took a deep breath before answering. 

"Hi Jia." 

"So I've just spoken to Mr Cho. I don't know how, but --"

"I know," he interrupted, throwing the cereal into his trolley and walking on. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have snapped. I just --"

"What are you talking about?" 

Zhou Mi paused in the middle of pushing his trolley. "What are _you_ talking about?"

"I was going to tell you that he seems very enamoured with you. He wants you for a whole weekend."

"A whole ---- what? He didn't call you to make a complaint?" 

Now it was Jia's turn to pause. "A complaint about what…?"

"Nevermind," Zhou Mi quickly said, before she could pursue it. "Tell me about this weekend." 

"Hmmm," she hummed thoughtfully, but thankfully she left it alone, instead going on to tell him about the weekend. It turned out that Kyuhyun wanted to hire Zhou Mi to accompany him to an event - an out of town wedding. Zhou Mi had occasionally been hired by clients to accompany them to places, mostly dinners or parties. They didn't happen a lot, but he liked doing those gigs. It was always an excuse for him to dress up, and mostly all he needed to do was look pretty and smile a lot. Some clients wanted a bit more afterwards, or during, but most of the time he was fed and wined, and it was a nice change. 

"So I've booked it," Jia finished. "Mr Cho will take care of the travel details and he requested that you meet him at his place on Friday night. You'll travel back on Sunday night. Okay?" 

"Sure. Yeah. That's great. Wait - _this_ Friday?" _What was he going to wear?_ He needed a new suit, right away. He ditched his trolley, half filled with groceries, and headed towards the exit. "Talk to you later - I need to go shopping." 

 

*

 

Leading up to the weekend, Zhou Mi was busy, not giving him much time to think about the potential awkwardness of seeing Kyuhyun again after the somewhat sore note they'd ended on. He was still helping Liyin out at the cafe, and with appointments in the evening, all too soon it was Friday. 

"So you're spending the whole weekend with him?" Liyin asked on the day, in between the morning and lunch rush. "That won't be weird?"

"Maybe," Zhou Mi agreed. "But I guess I just need to look pretty and not talk too much." 

Liyin stifled a laugh. "You've got the looking pretty thing down, but I'm not sure about not talking too much."

"Hey," Zhou Mi said in faux-anger. "You've never seen me with a client. I'm very good at not talking. I'm normally too busy for it, if you know what I mean." 

They were interrupted by someone entering and Liyin quickly stifled her giggle. "Good luck," she said instead, turning her attention to the customer. 

Zhou Mi left the cafe early to go home, have a shower, and collect his bag. Jia had put the details in his calendar a couple of days ago, and once he was ready he called a taxi to pick him up.

Kyuhyun lived in an inner-city suburb that, in the past, was very working class and downtrodden. While it had gentrified a lot over the years, it hadn't yet been stripped of all its colour. Zhou Mi was surprised that it was where Kyuhyun lived - it was very trendy, but still a bit gritty, and definitely wasn't the exclusive, posh suburb that he'd been expecting. 

Kyuhyun drove them to the airport. It was a 30 minute drive from Kyuhyun's house, and Zhou Mi asked him insignificant questions as they travelled. "So… tell me about this wedding," after they'd exhausted small talk on how their week had been. 

The wedding, Kyuhyun told him, was for one of his university friends, someone he'd kept in touch with but who he hadn't seen in a couple of months as they'd both been so busy. After a bit of gentle probing, Zhou Mi discovered the real reason Kyuhyun had hired him to attend - Kyuhyun's ex-boyfriend would be there too. 

"We broke up like -- 6 months ago --- I'm over him," Kyuhyun told Zhou Mi as he drove. "This sounds really pathetic but… I don't want him to think that I'm still pining over him. And if I show up single, I know that's exactly what he'll think." 

It probably was a bit pathetic, but who was Zhou Mi to judge. "I get it - you just want to show the best of yourself." Everyone did, it was only natural. "So how long have we been dating for?"

"What?" Kyuhyun gave him a side glance, confused. 

"I'm here as your new boyfriend, right? How long have we been together for? How did we meet?" 

"Oh." The entrance to the airport car park was coming up, and Kyuhyun was silent for a moment as he concentrated on getting into the correct lane. "I don't know."

"Well…" Zhou Mi thought for a moment, tapping his fingers on his thigh. "We've been dating for five months. I showed up at your house one day to unblock your pipes - if you know what I mean - and you were astounded by my handsomeness. And the way my hands looked handling your plumbing." He grinned when Kyuhyun laughed at his answer. "No? Grindr? We both swiped right and that was the beginning of a beautiful relationship and lots of highly satisfying sex?" 

"No, no," Kyuhyun was practically giggling as he parked the car. 

"Fine, then you tell me how we met," Zhou Mi relented. 

"Five months, mutual friends set us up on a blind date, and we hit it off." 

"I liked my answers more, but that will do."

The flight was uneventful, taking less than two hours. The wedding was being held at a small island up north, just off the coast of the mainland, and well-known for its luxury resorts, white sand beaches, and turquoise ocean. Beforehand, Kyuhyun had seemed fine and chatty, but as soon as they were on the plane Zhou Mi picked up on his tension and his desire to be left alone. So rather than talking, Zhou Mi spent most of the time playing a game on his phone and Kyuhyun read what looked like work reports on his tablet

A chauffeur service was waiting at the airport to take them to their accommodation, and while Zhou Mi had been expecting something nice, when they pulled up front he was surprised. The place was stunning. Surrounded by lush, tropical gardens, the main building was constructed out of timber, stone and glass, all subtly done to ensure it was in harmony with its environment. It was low and wide, in a way that emphasised the openness and space of its location. There were multiple private stand alone pavilions that held the accommodation suites, connected to the main building via stone-set paths, and from their earlier conversation, Zhou Mi knew that the wedding party had booked the entirety of the resort. Each suite faced the water, with uninterrupted views over the seafront. Many of the higher end suites had their own private pools, and the resort itself had a couple of communal infinity pools, two restaurants, a couple of bars, a beauty spa, and even a 9-hole golf course. 

When they stepped into their room, Zhou Mi was in awe. In his line of work he'd been to the nicest hotels, but this place was something else. Bright and airy, with a high ceiling and large rooms that allowed the sea view to be the focus, it was lavishly furnished with a huge king size bed. Their luggage had already been dropped off by a porter and Kyuhyun threw himself down on the bed with a sigh, covering his eyes with his arm. 

"I hate flying, I hate travelling," he remarked. He pulled himself to a half sitting position when Zhou Mi didn't respond. "Is this okay? That we're in the same room?" There was only one bed in the suite, and it was obvious that they were going to have to share it. 

"Of course it is," Zhou Mi reassured him. "It would be strange if we had separate ones, since I'm meant to be your boyfriend and all." Zhou Mi crouched down to unzip his suitcase to unpack, pulling out his clothes and heading to the closet so he could hang them up. His suit went in first, and he smoothed down the protective suit bag so it hung nicely. His shoes went neatly in the bottom of the closet.

"You unpack?" Kyuhyun asked, watching him from the bed. "We're only here for two nights."

"It's nicer to have everything unpacked don't you think?" Zhou Mi replied, neatly stacking the remainder of his clothes in one of the drawers. "I hate living out of a suitcase."

With a sigh, Kyuhyun rolled off the bed. "Now I'll seem like a slob if I don't unpack too."

Zhou Mi had his toiletries bag in hand, on his way to the bathroom, but he stopped. "Oh! You don't have to, I didn't meant to imply --"

Kyuhyun, having already opened his suitcase, tossed his own toiletries bag at him. Zhou Mi only just caught it without fumbling. "I'm just teasing," he said with a smile. "Can you put mine away too?"

After unpacking, Kyuhyun suggested dinner. Zhou Mi was famished, having only had a little snack at the cafe, and he quickly agreed. They headed to one of the resort restaurants. At the entrance, before they walked in, Kyuhyun reached for Zhou Mi's hand.

"Just in case there's anyone here I know," he muttered, in response to Zhou Mi's raised eyebrow.

"Right."

They were seated in a private corner by the window with a nice view of the moon rising over the ocean. Kyuhyun was chattier now he'd had an opportunity to recover from the flight, and conversation flowed smoothly. They started talking about Kyuhyun's career, and how he came to work at a renewable energy company.

"I guess I've always wanted to save the world," Kyuhyun said. He said it with a laugh in his voice, but there was a note in his tone that made Zhou Mi realise that he was only half joking. 

"And how's that going?" Zhou Mi teased. 

"It's a slow process but we're getting there," Kyuhyun responded, ducking his head shyly. He shouldn't have been so coy about it. Zhou Mi had done some research after taking Kyuhyun on as a client, and Kyuhyun's company had some major achievements, streamlining their manufacturing process so much that the cost of making solar cells was half what it was a year ago. They'd also openly stated that they wanted to work in partnership with the government and install solar panels on 75% of all public buildings in their city in the next five years to assist with reducing carbon emissions to zero by 2025. 

It was admirable, really. Zhou Mi himself had only ever wanted a quiet life - something comfortable, in which he didn't have to rely on anyone else, and it was intriguing to meet people who were motivated by something greater. 

Their conversation was interrupted by the waiter placing dessert in front of them. Kyuhyun peered across the table, eying up the one that Zhou Mi had just started digging into. "That looks good."

Zhou Mi had a terrible sweet tooth, but didn't let himself eat sweets often, always worried about maintaining his figure. 

"Do you want to try?" he asked as he scooped up a spoon. It was souffle - airy and light, but Zhou Mi knew he'd have to work extra hard in the gym to compensate for it. He leaned across the table, spoon in the air, expecting Kyuhyun to take the utensil from him. But instead, Kyuhyun leaned forward and ate the bite off the spoon as Zhou Mi held it. 

"Nice," Kyuhyun smiled, licking his lips clean and Zhou Mi tried not to show how off balanced that small gesture made him. He played boyfriend really well, Zhou Mi thought. Almost better than Zhou Mi did himself. He acted so naturally, like he thought of Zhou Mi as his equal, as an actual friend and not someone he was paying, that Zhou Mi had to remind himself that Kyuhyun was his client. 

"Want to try mine?" Kyuhyun offered. Zhou Mi declined with a smile. No matter how Kyuhyun acted - he was just his client, and Zhou Mi couldn't get complacent about being paid to pretend. 

 

*

 

Kyuhyun giggled as Zhou Mi staggered a little under his weight, trying to keep him upright as he inserted the keycard into the door of their room. He hadn't noticed how much Kyuhyun had drank at dinner until they stood up when it was time to leave. 

"Shhh," Zhou Mi shushed, pushing open the door and helping Kyuhyun inside. As soon as Kyuhyun caught sight of the bed he fell on to it like a child, arms and legs out like a starfish, and still completely dressed. Zhou Mi shook his head but started the task of removing his shoes and socks.

"Up," Zhou Mi encouraged as he moved to take off Kyuhyun's pants. Kyuhyun lifted his hips obligingly so he could slide the material down. At least he was an obedient drunk, Zhou Mi thought to himself, draping Kyuhyun's pants over a nearby chair. 

"You're such a nice guy," Kyuhyun commented, his words a little slurred as Zhou Mi started on his shirt, undoing the buttons. "I want to date you." He hiccuped and turned on to his side, curling up, and Zhou Mi only barely heard his next sentence, spoken into the bed,"If only you weren't a --"

Zhou Mi's hands stilled. Kyuhyun didn't finish what he was saying, a soft snore indicating that he'd fallen asleep, but Zhou Mi understood anyway. He pulled the blanket over Kyuhyun, tucking it around him gently. 

"Sweet dreams," he said, mostly to himself.

 

*

 

In the morning, when Zhou Mi woke up, Kyuhyun was already awake - dressed and showered. The bed was large enough that they'd stuck to their respective sides during the night, and Zhou Mi had had an amazing sleep thanks to the luxurious bedding. 

"Sorry," was the first word out of Kyuhyun's mouth when he noticed that Zhou Mi was awake. "I hope I didn't say or do anything too inappropriate last night. I shouldn't have had so much to drink - I suppose I'm more nervous about this wedding than I thought." 

"No, you didn't," Zhou Mi said - a half lie - as he pushed aside the covers to climb out of bed. "You went straight to sleep."

In all the events of his life and his work, it wasn't the most inappropriate thing that a client had ever said to him - and yet, in an odd way, it also was. There was always a strict line between himself and his clients, and no one had ever tried to cross it before. They had their time together, and that was that. There was no wishing or pretending otherwise - there was never anything more. It simply wasn't done and even just the _thought_ of dating a client was laughable.

In fact, Zhou Mi didn't date at all. It had been years since he'd been in a relationship, his last one ending not long after he started at the Agency. He'd been on a couple of dates after getting into his line of work, but found it too difficult. Maybe there were guys out there who would've been interested in him despite what he did, but they were rare, and he wasn't particularly interested in looking for them in any case. 

It wasn't as if he felt the need to be in a relationship anyway. He liked his life, his independence, the fact that he didn't need to rely on anyone else. He prided himself on it. He didn't have to answer to anyone, to compromise his life. 

He finished brushing his teeth, rinsing out the toothpaste with a large swig of water, before shaking his head firmly to clear his thoughts. Who needed a boyfriend? Not him. 

What mattered was the here and now, and right now Zhou Mi was going to give Kyuhyun what he was paying for. Zhou Mi put a smile on his face and left the bathroom. 

 

*

 

The plan for the morning was breakfast with Kyuhyun's friends - the reason they had flown up the night before rather than first thing in the morning. The wedding ceremony was to be held in the late afternoon, with a reception in the early evening, giving the bridal party a couple of hours after the ceremony for photos. 

Kyuhyun told Zhou Mi that the friends they were meeting were a tight knit group from his university days. As time passed, a few of them had moved away, although they all still kept in touch. They also, Kyuhyun warned him, had all known Kyuhyun's ex-boyfriend and had liked him a lot. To the point where Kyuhyun wasn't sure if his ex had been invited to breakfast.

"Don't worry, I'll protect you if he is," Zhou Mi joked, because Kyuhyun seemed nervous at the thought. From what Kyuhyun had told him, it didn't sound like it had been an amicable breakup. Zhou Mi got the strong impression that Kyuhyun had been dumped rather unkindly, with his ex getting into a new relationship practically straight away. 

They were nearly at the restaurant, and Kyuhyun told him more as they walked there. "I'm almost 100% certain that they were together before he broke up with me." 

"Christ, what an asshole." 

"That's the worst part. He's not one - and I don't even hate him any more. I did for a bit, but now I see that our relationship had been floundering for a while. Though it's still going to be awkward to see him again." Kyuhyun scrunched up his face. 

"Sounds like you're better off without him. You should be with someone who appreciates and treasures you." 

A bit of red crept up Kyuhyun's neck at that as they entered, but his reply was cut off by someone yelling and waving across the room at them. "Kyu!"

Zhou Mi hooked his arm into Kyuhyun's and smiled down at him fondly. "Time to meet your friends." 

Breakfast was a relaxed affair, Kyuhyun's friends happy to see him again and happy to meet Zhou Mi. They seemed interested in him without being overbearing. It helped that Zhou Mi pulled out all his well-practiced charm, but it was easy because they all seemed like genuinely nice people. 

He found it interesting to see Kyuhyun with his friends. He was jovial, cheerful, and mischievous, joining in the light hearted bantering that seemed to be core to this group. 

Zhou Mi sat next to Kyuhyun, their chairs pushed closely together so their arms brushed each time they moved. Zhou Mi knew that it was small body language details like these that made a relationship seem real. It wasn't just about words. Still, when Kyuhyun's friends peppered him with questions, Zhou Mi gave them the ones he'd discussed with Kyuhyun in the car, careful to inject just the correct amount of sincerity in his voice.

After eating Zhou Mi had another coffee while Kyuhyun finished his meal with a plate of cut fruit. As Zhou Mi chatted to Kyuhyun's friend, Minho, Kyuhyun nudged him gently. 

"Here, your favourite," Kyuhyun said, picking up a slice of mango and feeding it to him. In the car, they'd had a quick discussion about favourite things - colour, food, movies, songs. Zhou Mi swallowed the fruit, surprised that Kyuhyun remembered. He hadn't expected him to. 

"Wow, you two are so lovey dovey it's gross," Changmin, another of Kyuhyun's friends, remarked. "Will it be your wedding next?" 

Zhou Mi heard Kyuhyun choke on his mouthful, so he answered for him. "It's far too soon to be thinking about that," he smiled, petting Kyuhyun's hand reassuringly with his. Inwardly, he was pleased that they were doing well enough to fool Kyuhyun's friends. 

Changmin looked pointedly at their hands. "Sure. Okay." 

Kyuhyun stopped choking long enough to ball up his napkin and throw it into Changmin's face. 

 

*

 

After breakfast they had a couple of free hours before needing to get ready. 

"I'm going to have a swim, if that's okay with you?" Neither Kyuhyun nor his friends seemed like they were going to move on any time soon. 

Kyuhyun nodded. "Sure."

Zhou Mi waved a goodbye at everyone and left. He did want a swim - the resort had such beautiful pools that it would be a shame not to use them - but he also wanted some alone time before needing to play perfect boyfriend again.

He could do it, and he knew he could do it well, but it was draining at the same time to constantly watch how he acted. 

Zhou Mi felt himself relax as he floated on his back in the cool waters of the pool, after working off some energy swimming laps. The sky was a clear deep blue. There was a light breeze blowing, preventing the day from getting too hot underneath the strong sun. It was perfect weather for a wedding.

"How's the water?" a voice called, and Zhou Mi lifted his head to find Kyuhyun on the edge of the pool, swimming trunks on, chest bare, and his feet dangling in the water. It was a nice view. 

"Perfect."

Kyuhyun slipped into the pool and Zhou Mi paddled over to join him at the edge. 

"A swim sounded like a good idea after you mentioned it. Hope you don't mind that I'm crashing your quiet time."

"Of course not," Zhou Mi told him, "but where are your friends?" He'd assumed that Kyuhyun would want to spend as much time with them as possible.

"Left them at the restaurant. A swim with you sounded like more fun."

There was that feeling, that one that felt like Kyuhyun was crossing the invisible unspoken line. He wanted to tell Kyuhyun that he shouldn't say things like that, but the truth was that Kyuhyun could say whatever he wanted. He was paying to. So Zhou Mi ignored it.

"I need to get out soon, before I turn into a prune," he said instead, holding up his hands so Kyuhyun could see how wrinkled they were. "But I'll hang around until you're done."

He climbed out using the ladder, and dried himself off before sprawling on his stomach on one of the deckchairs by the poolside. He watched Kyuhyun swim laps with slow, steady strokes, admiring the shift of the muscles in his back. He wasn't as sculpted and as muscled as Zhou Mi, but he was still really attractive in his own right. 

_If he wasn't…_ Zhou Mi laid his head down, quickly banishing that thought before it could be fully formed.

 

*

 

The wedding was particularly lovely. 

It was held out on a large patio that overlooked the ocean and the beach. The aisle that the bride walked up was covered by tiny pink flowers, that let off the sweetest fragrance as they were crushed underneath. It was extremely elegant - all the male guests in tuxedos and the females in sleek long dresses - the fanciest wedding that Zhou Mi had ever been to.

Not that he'd been to a lot, though he did like weddings - in a 'glad it's not me' kind of way. He couldn't even imagine dating someone, much less being so committed to one person that he'd be willing to spend the rest of his life with them. 

He still liked weddings though. 

After the ceremony, the bulk of the guests went to the bar for a few drinks before it was time for the reception. Zhou Mi and Kyuhyun stuck close to the friends they'd had breakfast with. They still hadn't sighted Kyuhyun's ex, but it wasn't that surprising considering how many guests were in attendance. Perhaps Kyuhyun could've saved his money after all. 

When it was time for the reception, Kyuhyun grabbed Zhou Mi's hand, leading him in. The reception room was decorated in black and silver, with splashes of a bright blue dotted around as a feature colour. It was all done in a way that very quietly said: tasteful AND expensive. Even the cream coloured tablecloths draped neatly over the tables were worth a ridiculous amount - Zhou Mi had fingered the hem of one as he'd walked past and felt the quality. 

Zhou Mi could pretend all he liked, he could be in the company of these people and act like he belonged there, but he knew the truth: the crowd in this room were _money_ , real money, and it showed. Zhou Mi, even with his careful saving, his financial planning, could never know what it would be like to have this much money to burn. For all his words about wanting to save the world, if Kyuhyun was in this crowd he was richer than Zhou Mi had originally thought. 

Zhou Mi didn't know if that made him think more or less of him. He supposed it didn't really matter what he thought.

 

*

 

During the reception they were assigned to a table with Kyuhyun's friends and Zhou Mi could see Kyuhyun checking out the place cards.

"So?"

"Not this one." It appeared that Kyuhyun's ex was on a separate table. Kyuhyun was visibly relieved as he pulled out Zhou Mi's chair for him to sit down. 

As everyone was getting settled Zhou Mi started up a conversation with the person seated on his left - the partner of one of Kyuhyun's friends, who'd only arrived that morning and had missed breakfast. 

"And Zhou Mi - what do you do?" she asked as their starter was placed in front of them. 

"I'm a massage therapist," he lied smoothly. It was his usual answer whenever he was asked about his job. Zhou Mi had actually taken a course in massage therapy in the past, so it wasn't complete bullshit. 

"Oh, how lucky for Kyuhyun!" she said brightly. "He must love that. Was that how you met?" 

"Oh gosh no," Zhou Mi told her. "I could never date a client. A friend introduced us and we've been together since then." He could feel Kyuhyun's gaze from the corner of his eye and he caught his attention to draw him into the conversation. "Isn't that right, sweetheart?" 

"Right," Kyuhyun confirmed and Zhou Mi placed a hand on his leg and leaned into him, just touching his shoulder with his nose. Kyuhyun smelt nice - woody and spicy. Zhou Mi needed to find out what cologne he wore. 

"You're so cute together." 

Zhou Mi gave her his most charming smile and squeezed Kyuhyun's leg. "Thank you." 

 

*

 

"I don't dance," Kyuhyun protested as Zhou Mi dragged him on to the dance floor. 

"Everyone dances!"

"I don't dance _well_ ," Kyuhyun clarified, looking awkward and out of place as he stood still in the middle of the moving crowd.

"Neither do I," Zhou Mi agreed, voice raised over the music, taking a hold of Kyuhyun's hands and placing them around his own waist. His went on top of Kyuhyun's shoulders and he started swaying with the beat, hoping to encourage Kyuhyun to move by example. 

Kyuhyun pulled him closer and spoke into his ear so he could be heard without yelling. "Then why are we here? Dancing?" It tickled and Zhou Mi laughed softly, in a good mood. 

"Because it's a wedding? Because that's what people do?" 

He could feel Kyuhyun roll his eyes at him but he complied, and for a while they slow danced even though it wasn't a slow song. Then Zhou Mi felt Kyuhyun stiffen.

"My ex is watching us."

Zhou Mi resisted the urge to look around - he still hadn't seen Kyuhyun's ex and he was understandably curious. "Where?"

"My 3 o'clock."

Zhou Mi twisted them so he was facing the right direction. He needn't have bothered to be subtle, as when he looked up, Kyuhyun's ex was easy to spot - he was the only person watching them. But when he caught Zhou Mi's eye he quickly looked away.

He wasn't what Zhou Mi expected - he was shorter than Kyuhyun, stocky in his dark suit, with a plain face. He was the type of man that Zhou Mi wouldn't look twice at. 

"That's your ex?" he said in surprise. "He's so…" Zhou Mi searched his mind for a kinder word than the one he'd been about to say. "Average."

Kyuhyun snorted at him. "I'm average."

Zhou Mi pulled back to look him in the eyes. "No you're not. You're not average at all."

Kyuhyun's cheeks pinked, and Zhou Mi wondered what his past relationship had been like if he blushed at such a simple compliment. "Well neither are you," Kyuhyun finally muttered.

 

*

 

Kyuhyun let out a string of curses as Zhou Mi pushed into him. 

They'd left the reception after being there for a socially acceptable amount of time, and now they were both naked, with Kyuhyun on his hands and knees in the middle of their bed. Zhou Mi was draped over his back, wanting to leave marks all over the pale skin of Kyuhyun's shoulders, thrusting into him. Kyuhyun moaned each time he slammed into him, his head hanging down, and Zhou Mi buried his mouth in the base of Kyuhyun's neck to stifle his own noises and the urge to mark him.

It was less common, but Zhou Mi did have a few clients who wanted to be fucked rather than the other way around, and he liked this too - he liked it all. 

After one particularly strong thrust Kyuhyun dropped down, his arms giving out and Zhou Mi went down with him - more gently, covering him with his body. Kyuhyun turned his head and their mouths met in an awkward kiss, Zhou Mi muffling Kyuhyun's gasps with his lips. Zhou Mi normally had the strongest control, but Kyuhyun was so tight around him, the feeling so amazing, that he felt himself coming without warning, his orgasm wrecking him, before Kyuhyun was close to his own. 

It was another faux pas, so Zhou Mi tried to recover the situation by quickly pulling out, replacing his cock with his fingers as he rubbed over Kyuhyun's prostate. His other hand reached around to jerk Kyuhyun off at the same time, and it wasn't long until Kyuhyun also came with a loud moan. 

Afterwards, after cleaning up, Zhou Mi found that he was right - Kyuhyun was a cuddler. He snuggled up to him, despite the size of their bed, and Zhou Mi let him, stroking his side gently until he fell asleep. 

 

*

 

"Thank you for the weekend," Kyuhyun told him after their flight home landed. "I had a good time." 

"Me too," Zhou Mi told him honestly. They retrieved their luggage, walking out of the airport together, until Zhou Mi gestured to the taxi rank. "I'll take a cab home."

"Are you sure you don't want me to drop you off?"

Either Kyuhyun was oblivious or he just didn't care. There was no way Zhou Mi could let Kyuhyun know where he lived. "No thanks. I'll be fine." 

"Well…" Kyuhyun leaned up, a little stiffly, placing a kiss on Zhou Mi's cheek. "Bye." He pulled out his wallet and gave Zhou Mi all the notes he had inside. "For the taxi fare. And umm… a thank you." 

He walked off, turning around after several steps to wave goodbye. Zhou Mi waved back, amused, before getting into his cab and calling Jia to let her know he was home safely.

 

*

 

"It was… inconclusive," Zhou Mi's doctor said slowly, pushing his glasses back up his nose. 

The temperature in the room seemed to drop with that word: _inconclusive_. "What does that mean?"

"It's probably nothing to worry about - perhaps the sample was damaged in transit to the lab. We'll do another test to make sure."

The Agency put all its workers through an STD test every three months as a compulsory requirement. It was just something to be ticked off - to say, yes that's been done and all is well. Zhou Mi had never had a test come back _inconclusive_. 

Logically, it wasn't as if Zhou Mi thought he had anything to be concerned about. He was meticulous with his clients, and the Agency was very strict in that regard - safe sex or no sex. But, as Zhou Mi rolled up his sleeve so his doctor could stick a needle into his arm, he was reminded that nothing in life was 100% certain. 

As soon as he stepped foot out of the clinic, he called Jia.

"What do you mean inconclusive?" she said, echoing his earlier words after he gave her the update.

He tried to repeat what the doctor had told him, trying to ignore the anxiety that was drumming quietly in his chest. "It's probably nothing. I'll know in a week."

There was a short pause before she asked, "Are you okay? Do you want to meet up?"

"I'm fine, of course I'm fine. It's just an error - that's all."

"I know, but… I'm going to have to cancel your clients until you get the all-clear."

While Zhou Mi had been expecting it, knowing that it would be the obvious course of action, he still felt a twinge of hurt at her words. "I know."

He'd been scheduled to see Kyuhyun tonight but that obviously wasn't going to happen. But he could let Jia handle that. 

"Guess you're finally getting that holiday I'm always nagging you about."

But Zhou Mi didn't want a holiday. He didn't want time to himself. He wanted to be kept busy so he wouldn't think about it. 

"I'll call you in a couple of days - see how you're going. Okay?" 

"I'm fine," he stressed, annoyed for some reason by her concern. "You don't need to call me. I'm _fine_."

 

*

 

"Thanks for helping out," Liyin gushed, appreciative as always. Zhou Mi hadn't told her what was going on, had just said that his schedule was clear for a week if she needed him, but Liyin wasn't stupid. Nor was she one to turn down an offer like that. So Zhou Mi found himself surrounded by coffee beans, muffins, and her sweet company - and it was exactly what he needed. 

It was day three of no sex and coffee making when Kyuhyun showed up.

He scanned Zhou Mi from head to toe as if he couldn't quite believe that he was standing there. 

"Thank goodness - I thought…" he trailed off, unable to say much more with a group of his colleagues standing there. When, after ordering, they seemed deep in conversation with one another, Kyuhyun returned to the counter to say quietly to Zhou Mi, "Can we talk?"

Zhou Mi was busy, hand steady as he swirled a flower in milk foam. "I'm working." 

"When the Agency called, I thought… I'm glad to see you're okay."

Zhou Mi placed the cup on its saucer, saying to Liyin, "Coffee up," so she could take it to the customer sitting at a table by the window. 

"I'm fine, thanks for your concern." Zhou Mi didn't meet his eyes, focused on his next task. 

"Can I see you? I called, but they said you were on a break?"

"That's right - I'm on a break." 

"When - when will you be back? Is it permanent?" 

Zhou Mi secured a lid on a takeaway cup. "Cappucino for Donghae," he called out. One of Kyuhyun's colleagues walked up to collect his coffee, giving Kyuhyun a curious glance as he did so.

"Jia will call you when I'm available again." He finished another order. "Latte for Kyuhyun," he said loudly, as if Kyuhyun wasn't standing right there, as if he didn't know him.

Zhou Mi averted his eyes when Kyuhyun reached to take it and didn't watch him leave. 

 

*

 

A week after his first test, he stepped out of the clinic and called Jia again.

"I'm clean." 

There was a relieved sigh from the other end. "I knew you would be, but - that's great. I'm pleased that it's been confirmed."

"You can rebook my clients now."

"Sure…" Jia said, but there was hesitation in her voice. "Bring your results to the office and then I'll start making calls."

A quick pulse of anger shot through Zhou Mi, strong enough for him to say, "Don't you trust me?"

"Of course I do," she said patiently. "But I still need to see them. You know that."

Zhou Mi did know that. It wasn't an unreasonable request. It's just… it had been _a week_ and making coffee was nowhere near as profitable as his usual profession. And he felt strange. He needed to get things - his life - back to normal asap.

"Fine, I'll come in."

 

*

 

The Agency's offices were non-descript, neutral, the kind of place that looked like it sold life insurance rather than sex. Zhou Mi announced his presence via the intercom, and it took a while before he was buzzed up. There wasn't a receptionist - there was no need for one as clients never visited - so he walked straight into the main office. It was a medium sized room with several desks, a row of filing cabinets, a small kitchenette and bathroom. It was as non-glamourous as they come.

Jia was waiting for him, her hair tied up in a neat ponytail and nails coloured blood red as she waved him to sit in the chair next to her desk.

"Here." Zhou Mi pulled out his test results, handing them over a little ungraciously. Jia read through them quickly, before placing them on her desk, smoothing the paper out with her hand. 

"I'm really glad you got the all-clear," she told him. 

"Yeah. It's good. You can book some work for me now."

But instead of agreeing, Jia said, "Maybe it's a sign…"

Zhou Mi bristled immediately. "A sign of what?"

"I feel like you're getting tired. Maybe it's time to take a break."

"No, I'm not," Zhou Mi stated firmly. "I don't need one." Besides, he'd just had one. Where was this coming from?

"I wouldn't blame you - no one would - if you said you'd had enough? I mean, I was there once too, and you know I quit when -"

"I'm not you," Zhou Mi said, voice low and dangerous but Jia didn't seem to notice the warning in his tone. "I'm _fine_ and I'm clean. I don't need your concern."

Jia crossed her arms against her chest, biting down on her pink stained lip. "I'm just saying - as your friend -"

"You're not paid to be my friend. You're paid to find me work. Book my fucking clients," Zhou Mi snapped. He didn't feel guilty when her eyes widened at his vehemence. 

 

*

 

It was only afterwards, when he was alone in his apartment, that he regretted being so curt, for letting himself be angered so easily. 

It was just that Zhou Mi refused to let anyone control his life. Not his family, not his friends, not _anyone_. Still, no matter how justified his reasons, he shouldn't have taken it out on Jia. It wasn't her fault, really. 

After he'd practically yelled at her, Jia had paled, turning back to her computer. "I'll set them up straight away," she'd said quietly, chastened in a manner that was unlike her. Zhou Mi left the offices feeling odd.

 

*

 

Zhou Mi stared up at the ceiling as he laid on his back, his legs hooked around his client's waist. His client - an executive in his fifties but who looked like he was in his early forties - had his hands clasped in his, holding them them tightly against the mattress as he thrust into him.

His wedding ring dug into Zhou Mi's skin. 

Zhou Mi knew that he wasn't actually married, but he wore one for the sake of his career. For some reason he couldn't stop thinking about it, even as he let out the occasional moan, pretending to be into the sex, couldn't stop wondering if his client ever wanted to stop lying to everyone. Wasn't it tiring?

 _But then_ , Zhou Mi thought. _Wasn't he the same? A liar, a pretender, a complete fraud?_

Zhou Mi's client groaned into Zhou Mi's neck as he came, his weight almost suffocating. But Zhou Mi let him lie there, waiting for him to catch his breath, the whole time willing him to let go of his hands and resisting the urge to push him off. 

His client finally rolled off, removing the condom and wrapping it in a tissue he grabbed from the box on the bedside table. With a clean one he wiped his forehead before offering Zhou Mi some water.

Zhou Mi sat up, taking a sip. 

"Mimi, how long have we been seeing another now?"

"A few years?" Zhou Mi responded, his mind only half on the question. 

"Are you feeling alright?"

"Of course," he replied automatically. 

"I know that this probably isn't my place. But - and I'm not criticising or complaining - you've never seemed so unfocused before."

Shit. Zhou Mi swallowed hard, suddenly feeling terrified because it was true. He had been unable to focus - to the point that his client had noticed. How could he make this right? This was his _job_ and he'd always prided himself on doing his job excellently. "I'm sorry, I'm just tired today. I'm really sorry."

"No - don't - I don't want you to apologise. I just hope that things are okay." He really was such a nice man. Zhou Mi looked down at the ring shining on his hand and thought that he deserved more than the life he had. He deserved to live it free and proud of who he was. 

"I just need a bit more sleep," Zhou Mi said weakly. "Thanks for your concern but I'm fine." 

 

*

 

It took a couple of weeks and numerous appointments before Zhou Mi could admit to himself that - no, things weren't okay and he wasn't okay. If Zhou Mi was to be honest with himself, and he was starting to realise that he lied to himself more often than not, the feeling had been building for a while. For months and months. Maybe even longer. 

The realisation was sudden though. He woke up one day, got out of bed, looked out his window and thought: _I can't do this any more._

Zhou Mi brushed his teeth, put on some clothes, and found himself making his way to the Agency.

Jia was surprised to see him, since he hadn't called ahead and he hardly ever had cause to visit the office.

"What are you doing here?" she asked. "Is everything alright?"

Zhou Mi shook his head, not wanting to get into it there. "Can we go for a walk?"

They left the office together. Jia wasn't that patient, but to her credit she waited until he was ready to talk. 

"I think I need to quit," Zhou Mi finally said, after they'd walked half a block. "No," he corrected himself after a beat. "It's time for me to quit." 

"Did something happen? What happened?"

Zhou Mi shook his head. "Nothing happened. It's just time." 

"I understand," she told him. "Hey," she tugged on his arm to make him stop walking. "Are you okay?" 

"Yes. No. I don't know." Zhou Mi knew, more than anyone, that his job didn't define him - he was more than this. Except… he'd been doing it for so long. Who would he be once he no longer had to lie to his family and friends about his profession? What would he do with himself? 

"Do you want to quit straight away? You have bookings but I'll cancel them." 

Zhou Mi thought about it. He had several clients scheduled for the rest of the week - all people he'd been seeing for a long time. "Yes. Cancel them." He didn't owe them anything, just as they didn't owe him anything. "I'm done." 

 

*

 

Zhou Mi only opened the door because he could hear Liyin eventually shouting, after knocking loudly for ten minutes, "I have bagels! And coffee!"

It was only the mention of bagels that got him off the couch. Zhou Mi hadn't left his apartment in a week and he was running out of food. 

He wrenched the door open, scowling down at her. Liyin just responded with a bright smile. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be working?"

Liyin handed him a paper bag as she pushed past, heading straight to his kitchen. "Jia called me. Why haven't you been answering our messages?" 

Zhou Mi ignored her question. He hadn't looked at his phone in ages - he hadn't even bothered to charge it and it had been flat for several days. But even if it had been charged he hadn't felt like responding to anyone.

"She's always been a busy body," he muttered to himself, following Liyin into the kitchen where she placed the two takeaway coffees she was holding into his microwave. "Make yourself at home," he said more loudly, sarcastically. 

Liyin ignored the tone in his voice - she was never particularly good with sarcasm in the first place. "You look terrible." The microwave beeped and she opened it to retrieve the coffees, handing one over to him. "Do you want to talk about it?"

What was there to talk about? Zhou Mi wasn't having an existential crisis just because he quit his job. Of course not. He pulled out a piece of bagel from the bag he was holding and chewed on it furiously. "There's nothing to talk about."

"Then why are you holed up in your apartment? Why have you been ignoring me? Jia?"

"I'm not holed up, I just don't feel like being out. And I'm not ignoring you - I just don't have anything to say to either of you. Why are you even here anyway?" 

"I'm here because we're friends. Jia's your friend. We care about you." 

Friends? Zhou Mi didn't need friends. He didn't need anyone. He tore off another piece of bagel and scowled. 

Liyin stopped him before he could stuff it into his mouth, weaseling her way under his arm and looking up at him cutely. "You're not weak if you have people who care about you." 

"I'm not weak!"

"Exactly."

She was annoying and infuriating and Zhou Mi didn't know why on earth he put up with it. Zhou Mi tossed the remnants of the bread into the sink. "I'm not hungry any more." 

Liyin was still giving him her best cute expression. "If you're done sulking, I could use some help at the cafe?" 

"I'm not sulking!" But when she attempted to pull away, he didn't release her, clamping her to his side. "6am tomorrow?"

He refused to look down at her face, but despite that he knew she was beaming. "Yes." 

 

*

 

"I'll close up," Zhou Mi said loudly, so Liyin could hear him from the kitchen. It'd been a week since Liyin had dragged him out of his post-Agency crisis, and he'd been working there every day since. He hadn't spoken to her about it yet, but he was thinking of using some of his savings to finance her expansion, to officially become her business partner. 

Just as he was wiping his hands on a cloth, about to walk to the door, it opened and Kyuhyun stepped inside. Zhou Mi stared at him, before saying, "Sorry, we're closed for the day." Before Zhou Mi had decided to quit he'd only seen Kyuhyun once after his enforced break. It had been good, enjoyable, but Zhou Mi really didn't want to see him now. 

"Can we talk?" 

There was nothing to talk about. Zhou Mi didn't have anything to say to him. He was no different to any of Zhou Mi's other clients. He shook his head. 

"Our last appointment was cancelled? Can we --"

Zhou Mi quickly interrupted him. "Call Jia, she'll be able to match you up with someone else." 

"But I don't want to see anyone else, I --"

"I'm not working there anymore," Zhou Mi told him. "I've stopped." 

"I know, Jia told me. But we could still see each other? Outside of the Agency?"

Zhou Mi wondered if he was purposely being dense or if he truly didn't get it. "Kyuhyun. I've stopped having sex for money. We _can't_ keep seeing each other." 

Kyuhyun seemed flustered. "That's not what I meant. We could see each other - without money… I mean, I like you and we got along really well when we went away and --"

"I don't date clients," Zhou Mi told him curtly, cutting him off. He wasn't naturally cruel, but it appeared he needed to be in this case. 

"But I'm not a client now," Kyuhyun protested. 

But he was, he used to be, and Zhou Mi couldn't overlook it. "Kyuhyun…" Zhou Mi didn't know the best way to explain it. He'd never thought that he would need to. "I'm not the person that you think I am. You paid for a fantasy and that's exactly what you got. That man wasn't real. You don't know me."

"But --"

There was no buts. Kyuhyun had only ever known fantasy Zhou Mi and the real Zhou Mi would undoubtedly be disappointing. "Call Jia," he repeated. "She can find someone new for you." 

To Zhou Mi's surprise, Kyuhyun said, "Just listen to me! You're lying to yourself. It - you - might've been a persona, but that doesn't mean it was all fake. And you're probably right - maybe I don't know you. But I _want_ to. Surely that counts for something? Just give me a chance." 

Zhou Mi shook his head again, more firmly this time. He could feel Liyin watching them from the kitchen. "No. Please leave. We're closing now - you have to go." 

When it was obvious that he wasn't going to change his mind, Kyuhyun finally left, and Zhou Mi locked the door behind him. 

Liyin was on him in an instance, joining him on the floor. "Why didn't you say yes?"

"I can't date him."

"Why not?" she countered. "He's smart, cute, kind, and rich. Why not date him?"

"He's a _client_ ," Zhou Mi stressed.

" _Was_ a client."

Zhou Mi shook his head, pushing past her to head to the kitchen. "I can't. It doesn't make a difference."

Liyin followed him, like the annoying pest she was. "I think it does."

"I don't care what you think," Zhou Mi snapped. "He doesn't like me - he doesn't even know me. He won't like the actual person that I am!"

"And what if he does?" Liyin asked, his annoyance not fazing her. "What if you're throwing away an opportunity because you're just being stupid and stubborn?"

"I don't want to talk about this anymore," Zhou Mi told her grumpily, her words hitting a bit too close to home. He turned the sink on to wash his hands, turning his back on her to cut off the conversation.

"I never thought you were a coward," she told him, disappointment obvious in her tone. 

Zhou Mi wasn't afraid. He scrubbed his hands under the water, working the soap into a lather. He _wasn't_. 

 

*

 

"Jia," Zhou Mi sighed into his phone. "What is it?"

She didn't even bother asking how he was, getting straight to the point. "Have you called him? I texted you his number." She had, and she wasn't supposed to. Zhou Mi could get her fired if he wanted. 

But he was more annoyed at Liyin. Her and her big mouth. He was going to wring her neck tomorrow. "No I haven't. Not that it's any of your business."

"Call him."

"Hey," he said tersely, "I no longer get paid to listen to you. You can't tell me what to do."

"Stop being a dumbass. Call him." And she hung up. 

Zhou Mi scowled as he slid his phone into his pocket. _Friends._ Who the hell needed friends. He was pretty sure he was better off without them. 

Then he took a deep breath, straightened himself up, squared his shoulders and pressed firmly on the doorbell. 

Not too long afterwards, the door opened. 

"Hi," Zhou Mi said quickly, before Kyuhyun could say anything. "My name is Zhou Mi. My friends tell me that I'm stupid. I like musicals, fashion, cartoons, scary movies, puppies, singing, and I think… that I'm also interested in getting to know you."

Kyuhyun blinked at him, expressionless, before reaching forward to tug him inside, his face breaking into a smile. "Come in and tell me more."

**Author's Note:**

> [Thank you for reading.](http://mialienes.livejournal.com/12801.html)


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